National Mirror
Called to Witness
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Date: Wed, Apr 07, 2010
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Papers, Publications & Reports
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HIV&AIDS POLICY
Author(s): Fr. Michael Czerny: Convener, Kenya Catholic HIV&AIDS Taskforce
Language: English
Abstract
Twenty years ago in June 1987, the Catholic Bishops of Kenya raised the alarm, perhaps the first Catholic leaders in all of Africa to do so: “AIDS has cast a baleful shadow across the beautiful lives of men and women ... However as much as we may dread the disease, we must show Christian compassion to the victims”.
Since then, many Christians, other believers and people of good will have been responding to the pandemic with creative energy, courageous generosity and often pathetically inadequate resources.
In their 1999 pastoral letter, The AIDS Pandemic and its impact on our People: Seeking Solutions and Solidarity in These Difficult Times, the Bishops again expressed the Church’s determination to work alongside others in Kenya, trusting that “the human spirit will find ways to conquer the ravages of this disease which poses such a challenge to all.”
Now the Catholic Bishops of Kenya have spoken anew: This We Teach and Do affirms both compassion and responsibility in an articulate Catholic vision of what it means to struggle against AIDS in Kenya. Four questions keep getting raised and addressed to the Catholic Bishops and many priests, sisters and faithful involved in AIDS ministries:
a) What does the Church do? How? Where in Kenya?
Giving clear mention to the achievements, strengths, weaknesses and challenges, the Inventory tells how the Church’s work to address the pandemic is organized and structured in Kenya. The inventory will be of great interest to the media and everyone who wishes to understand how the Church actually carries out its AIDS work.
b) Who in the Church is doing what? The updated Directory of more than 700 entries lists the programmes, names, addresses and contact-information, in order to facilitate communication, cooperation and networking. It shows that there is less reduplication of efforts than some fear, and offers great potential for the exchange of best practices and resources as well as for mutual support.
So This We Do to the surprise of many, even well-informed Kenyans and members of the Church, there is a lot more doing than many people acknowledge.
c) Where does the Church in Kenya stand? What is its position regarding HIV and AIDS? Sub-titled The Church Speaks and Teaches, the response affirms and explains the teaching of the universal Catholic Church as expressed here in Kenya. The Bishops address the basic doctrinal, moral and practical points to those responsible for the Church’s AIDS ministry and to those on the front lines of the struggle.
d) What is the Church committed to doing from now on? The response, entitled The Church Presents her Strategy, presents the programmatic or strategic framework of what we are doing and hope to do. This section is addressed to anyone who wishes to partner with Church efforts, and needs clear information about our plans, procedures, and commitments.
So This We Teach explains what many people really want to know about the Church’s teaching regarding HIV and AIDS. Those who think they already know will be surprised to read the authoritative new statement being launched on 28th June 2007 at the end of our first Catholic AIDS Conference in Kenya.
The purpose of this whole Policy is to respond authoritatively to all four questions - in a way which will encourage and fortify Kenyan Catholics, Christians and Muslims, other believers and people of good will to rally together and confront HIV and AIDS.
The Catholic Bishops invite their Christian people, and those who explicitly or implicitly share our moral and social values, to make common cause in a thoroughly faith-filled involvement in all aspects of the AIDS struggle.
And with this appeal, the Catholic Bishops of Kenya close their historic June 1987 message: “We urge the members of the Church, laity and clergy, cooperating where possible with already existing organizations, to search for the most effective means of help, and we ask our Bishops to give their active support to this work of Christ: for it is his Body which has AIDS.”
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